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Archive for January 2014

Making a Hard Bimini Out of an Impoundment

The Wanderer and Dona de Mallorca are heeding the advice ‘if you’ve got lemons, make lemonade.’ In our case, Latitude 38’s 63-ft catamaran Profligate remains impounded by AGACE, so we’re using the going-on-six-weeks-now impoundment to have a hard bimini made for the cockpit. More »

Winged Stowaway Photo Quiz

This heron found an unusual perch. It’s not exactly a tranquil spot surrounded by nature, but it is shady. © 2014 Dan Orlando Today’s Photo Quiz comes from Dan Orlando. Can you tell us where is this heron standing?  More »

More Brazen Smuggling Activity

On December 9 we reported that drug smugglers were taking increasingly brazen measures to import drugs to the US. Smuggler’s use of fast, open pangas (Mexican fishing boats) to motor up the West Coast is of great concern to California’s law enforcement authorities, and specifically the US Coast Guard, which is tasked with maritime surveillance and drug interdiction efforts. More »
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Bismark Dinius’ Federal Lawsuit Settled

We are thrilled to report that a Federal lawsuit brought by sailor Bismarck Dinius, now 45, has been settled in his favor.  Regular readers will recall the bizarre case of sailor Lynn Thornton’s tragic death during a nighttime sail on Clear Lake on April 29, 2006. More »

Uncertain Future for the New Ditch

From the visitor’s center at the Miraflores Locks, tourists observe the painfully slow process of ships transitting the original Panama Canal. latitude/Andy
© Latitude 38 Media, LLC Considering the legendary difficulties that both the French and Americans endured while building the original Panama Canal a century ago, it’s not surprising that construction of a new set of locks — originally slated to open this summer — has fallen substantially behind schedule. More »
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Hundreds of Foreign Boats Remain Impounded In Mexico

It’s going on six weeks now that over 300 foreign-owned boats remain impounded in Mexican marinas following a sub-agency of the Mexican IRS conducting audit/raids on at least eight marinas. Thanks to their dubious auditing techniques and lack of familiarity with Mexican and US law, the agency saw fit to impound 338 out of 1,600 boats. More »

Angel Island Ferry Service

The California Department of Parks and Recreation will be holding a public meeting tomorrow (January 16) to discuss the best options for providing ferry service to and from Angel Island State Park — a cherished San Francisco Bay landmark. More »

New SF Boat Show Next Week

The first annual Progressive San Francisco Boat Show, brought to you by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, takes place January 23-26 at Pier 48 and AT&T Park’s McCovey Cove. Sailing on San Francisco Bay on a summer’s day. More »